The Kasari Nexus: Rho Agenda Assimilation, Book 1

Jennifer Smythe escapes Earth's invasion by the insidious Kasari race, hijacks an alien starship, and survives the deadly passage through a wormhole. But escape is short-lived.... When Jennifer emerges on the new world of Scion, she is confronted by the same deadly enemy. Now the Kasari have sided with the planet's angel-like elite against the warrior underclass, but with the intent of ultimately ruling both.

Columbus Day: Expeditionary Force, Book 1

The Ruhar hit us on Columbus Day. There we were, innocently drifting along the cosmos on our little blue marble, like the Native Americans in 1492. Over the horizon came ships of a technologically advanced, aggressive culture, and BAM! There went the good old days, when humans got killed only by each other. So, Columbus Day. It fits. When the morning sky twinkled again, this time with Kristang starships jumping in to hammer the Ruhar, we thought we were saved.

Koban, Book 1

We colonized 700 planets. Humankind enjoyed the benefits of expansion room and the end of wars. We even disbanded our military. Then the Krall found us. The Krall have used thousands of years of combat to select the genes of the strongest and fastest warriors. They are a species determined to dominate the entire galaxy, through destruction and annihilation of every opponent.

Koban is an uninhabited high-gravity planet with impossibly fast savage animals, which employ organic superconducting nerves. This deadly world is where the Krall tested humans for war capability.

Artifact

Deep in the Indian Ocean, Dr. Selene Khan enters an underwater dome thousands of years old, one that is fully operational. She barely escapes to the surface, only to discover that her research vessel has vanished. Can she make it to shore 100 miles away? On the other side of the world, Agent Jack Elliot uncovers an impossible 900 grams of antimatter. The trail leads him to Egypt, betrayal, and a sinister brainwashing facility. There, in a desperate move, he rescues Dr. Selene Khan.

The World Walker: The World Walker Series, Book 1

Just outside Los Angeles, a prisoner hidden away for 70 years sits up, gets off the bed and disappears through a solid wall. In Australia, a magician impresses audiences by producing real elephants. Nobody realizes it's not an illusion. Across the world, individuals and organizations with supernatural power suddenly detect the presence of something even they can't understand. At the center of it all, Seb Varden, a 32-year old musician with a secret in his past, slits his wrists, is shot dead and run over on the freeway.

After On: A Novel of Silicon Valley

Meet Phluttr - a diabolically addictive new social network and a villainess, heroine, enemy, and/or bestie to millions. Phluttr has ingested every fact and message ever sent to, from, and about her innumerable users. Her capabilities astound her makers - and they don't even know the tenth of it. But what's the purpose of this stunning creation? Is it a front for something even darker and more powerful than the NSA?

Lunar Discovery: Discovery Series, Book 1

What lies on the dark side of the moon could change the course of humanity forever. When a Chinese rover discovers an alien technology on the dark side of the moon, it is up to Richard "Rock" Crandon and his NASA team of scientists and engineers to devise a way to return before the Chinese and Russians. Forced to deal with bureaucratic oversight and a complex team of personalities, Rock Crandon pushes his team to their limits.

Cast Under an Alien Sun: Destiny's Crucible, Book 1

Joe Colsco boarded a flight from San Francisco to Chicago to attend a national chemistry meeting. He would never set foot on Earth again. On planet Anyar, Joe is found unconscious on a beach of a large island inhabited by humans where the level of technology is similar to Earth circa 1700. He awakes amid strangers speaking an unintelligible language and struggles to accept losing his previous life and finding a place in a society with different customs, needing a way to support himself and not knowing a single soul.

Earthcore

EarthCore is the company with the technology, the resources, and the guts to go after the mother lode. Young executive Connell Kirkland is the company's driving force, pushing himself and those around him to uncover the massive treasure. But at three miles below the surface, where the rocks are so hot they burn bare skin, something has been waiting for centuries. Waiting...and guarding. Kirkland and EarthCore are about to find out first-hand why this treasure has never been unearthed.

Pandemic: The Extinction Files, Book 1

In Atlanta, Dr. Peyton Shaw is awakened by the phone call she has dreaded for years. As the CDC's leading epidemiologist, she's among the first responders to outbreaks around the world. It's a lonely and dangerous job, but it's her life - and she's good at it. This time she may have met her match. In Kenya, an Ebola-like pathogen has infected two Americans. One lies at death's door. With the clock ticking, Peyton assembles her team and joins personnel from the Kenyan Ministry of Health and the WHO.

Dark Intelligence: Transformation, Book 1

Thorvald Spear wakes in hospital, where he finds he's been brought back from the dead. What's more, he died in a human vs. alien war which ended a whole century ago. But when he relives his traumatic final moments, he finds the spark to keep on living. That spark is vengeance. Trapped and desperate on a world surrounded by alien Prador forces, Spear had seen a rescue ship arriving. But instead of providing backup, Penny Royal, the AI within the destroyer, turned rogue. It annihilated friendly forces in a frenzy of destruction, and years later it's still free.

Terradox

When a sudden impact sends a spacecraft bound for a distant research station hurtling toward a previously unseen and inexplicable planet, responsibility for the safety of its passengers immediately falls on Ivy 'Holly' Wood, a former poster child of the public space program now fleeing Earth's tyrannical leadership. The mysterious planet's startlingly Earth-like atmosphere initially breeds optimism among Holly's group of stranded survivors, but before long it becomes clear that Earth's rules don't apply.

Extracted: Extracted, Book 1

In 2061 a young scientist invents a time machine to fix a tragedy in his past. But his good intentions turn catastrophic when an early test reveals something unexpected: the end of the world. A desperate plan is formed: recruit three heroes, ordinary humans capable of extraordinary things, and change the future.

Alice: Alice Series #1

Captain Jacob Thomas, USMC, is a divorced combat veteran just trying to get his life back on track. Returning to the marine corps after a failed attempt at reconciliation with his estranged wife, Jake volunteers for a DARPA experiment that catapults him into a future where humanity has been stripped of 200 years of technological advancements and more than half its population. With the help of a faceless benefactor named Alice, he escapes the confines of an abandoned lab facility.

Balance: Frontiers Saga, Part 2: Rogue Castes, Episode 5

An entire sector in turmoil...neighbors who appear unconcerned...a favor asked of an old friend...sacrifices made for the good of humanity.... Before they can challenge the Dusahn and prevent them from expanding their empire further, the Karuzari must first gather much-needed resources. But doing so could be more difficult than anticipated.

You think you know how the world works? Think again. From best-selling author Neal Stephenson and critically acclaimed historical and contemporary novelist Nicole Galland comes a captivating and complex near-future thriller that questions the very foundations of the modern world. Magic has faded from the minds of mankind, until an encounter between Melisande Stokes, linguistics expert at Harvard, and Tristan Lyons, shadowy agent of government, leads to the uncovering of a distant past.

Not Alone

When Dan McCarthy stumbles upon a folder containing evidence of the conspiracy to end all conspiracies - a top-level alien cover-up - he leaks the files without a second thought. The incredible truth revealed by Dan's leak immediately captures the public's imagination, but Dan's relentless commitment to exposing the cover-up and forcing disclosure quickly earns him some enemies in high places.

Children of Time

Adrian Tchaikovksy's critically acclaimed stand-alone novel Children of Time is the epic story of humanity's battle for survival on a terraformed planet. Who will inherit this new Earth? The last remnants of the human race left a dying Earth, desperate to find a new home among the stars. Following in the footsteps of their ancestors, they discover the greatest treasure of the past age - a world terraformed and prepared for human life. But all is not right in this new Eden.

We Are Legion (We Are Bob): Bobiverse, Book 1

Bob Johansson has just sold his software company and is looking forward to a life of leisure. There are places to go, books to read, and movies to watch. So it's a little unfair when he gets himself killed crossing the street. Bob wakes up a century later to find that corpsicles have been declared to be without rights, and he is now the property of the state. He has been uploaded into computer hardware and is slated to be the controlling AI in an interstellar probe looking for habitable planets.

Invaders

They came from the brightest star in the southern constellation of Carina. First they studied us. Now they're among us, threatening human existence as they search for the Starcore, the greatest device of the lost Polarions. Logan is captured in the Nevada desert but escapes in Greenland. There he finds an extraterrestrial stealth ship, giving him the means to take the battle to the enemy.

In Times Like These

Benjamin Travers has been electrocuted. What's worse, he and his friends have woken up in the past. As the friends search for a way home, they realize they're not alone. There are other time travelers, and some of them are turning up dead.

Democracy's Right: Democracy's Right, Book 1

A tyranny stretching over thousands of worlds. The grand dreams of the founders are a joke. The Thousand Families, the rulers of the Empire, care nothing for anything save their own power. From the undercity of Earth to the new colonies at the Rim, discontent, anger, and rebellion seethe, but there is no hope of breaking the power of the Empire and freeing the trillions of enslaved humans and aliens.

Solitude: Dimension Space, Book 1

Separated by the gulf of space, the last man and woman of the human race struggle against astronomical odds to survive and unite. Army Aviator Vaughn Singleton is a highly intelligent, lazy man. After a last-ditch effort to reignite his failing military career ends horribly, Vaughn becomes the only human left on Earth. Stranded alone on the International Space Station, Commander Angela Brown watches an odd wave of light sweep across the planet.

Publisher's Summary

In 1948, an alien starship crash-landed in the New Mexico desert and brought with it the key to mankind’s future. Code-named the Rho Project, the landing was shrouded in secrecy, and only the highest-ranking US government and military personnel knew it existed. Until now.

The US president is preparing to unveil one of the nation’s greatest secrets when three students stumble across the wreckage of a second ship outside of Los Alamos. With a single touch, the alien technology the government has spent untold resources trying to unlock is uploaded into the minds of three teenagers — teenagers who now know the frightening truth about the Rho Project.The battle for humanity has begun.

I've now listened to all three in the Rho Agenda series and found them to be very very good in audio format and excellently narrated. Good storylines and well paced if some are a little predictable at times but I found this added to the experience and great character building too. Room for a continuance of the series - I hope so Mr Phillips...

Amazon have been pushing The Second Ship at me for a while based on my reading habits. Having just finished Hamilton's Void trilogy I thought I'd try a new author and relented to suggestion pressure. Within a few minutes I was regretting the use of my monthly credit.

This book really doesn't know what it wants to be. It's like Enid Blyton's Famous Five meets the X-Files, swinging between teen fiction and much darker conspiracy sci-fi. The three principal characters are irritating and two dimensional, and almost everyone else is either undeveloped, or worse, a transparent cliche. Suspicious, "you kids are up to no good", battleaxe teacher who tries to thwart them at every turn, anyone?

Science fiction needs to be believable, if not necessarily possible, but the polymathic knowledge of computing, physics, biology and chemistry shown by the three high-school students, not to mention the way they deftly outmaneuver the NSA, is simply not plausible. It stretches your belief too far, and because these devices underpin the entire book the whole thing fails to stand.

Initially I thought I'd mistakenly picked up a teen-fiction book, but the violence and sexual themes make it unsuitable for younger readers.

This book is dull and trite, and I wouldn't recommend it for anyone; teens, conspiracy lovers or hard sci-fi fans. I'm not sure if it's aimed at any of these markets, but if it is, it fails. I found it a real effort to finish, and I won't be buying the sequels because I just don't care what happens to these characters.

So far this book is crap. I haven't heard a word of it yet. The time I've spent on it so far has gone into converting it to a format I can use on my Android phone. Maybe it will turn out fine, but on the outset I'm just annoyed with it.

Being well past what is euphemistically called "middle age" I tend to be suspicious of books with "young adults" as the main protagonists. Clearly not all such books are aimed exclusively at teenagers (see Harry Potter, for one example), but many are written for and aimed at a reading group to which I no longer belong. Had I known that the 3 main characters in this book were teenagers I would probably have passed it by, so I am glad that I did not know.

For a book with young heroes and heroines (I am old enough to still use that term) this book is surprisingly well drawn with an interesting story line, characters with sufficient faults to be believable and enough really bad villains to have caught my attention immediately. Added to that is the fact that the author does not fall into any of the easy clichés, things do not happen as expected and there are enough interesting turns of events to keep things from getting boring. This is a terrific first volume in the series.

By the time I realized that our 3 young characters were the central characters in the book I was far too hooked to stop listening. When I finished listening to the book I decided to buy and download the sequel. The story was great, the narration was superb and I am curious exactly what is going to happen next. I can't ask for much more than that in a work of fiction.

113 of 121 people found this review helpful

Jim "The Impatient"

Springfield, MO, United States

17/09/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Don't Mess with the Johnsons"

HIS STOMACH LOOKED LIKE IT BELONGED TO A COMIC BOOK SUPER HERO.I did listened to all of this, but I almost gave up several times. This is another book that suffers from Trilogyitists. It also suffers from not knowing what it wants to be. The author writes mostly a YA book and then throws in gory fight scenes. In one scene a guy is strangled with his own intestines. There are also some sexual innuendo's, but not much. All the gory scenes put together could probably fit on two pages, but they are there. The plot is so convoluted that it almost gets silly. Do we need another teenage super hero book? If I heard, I FORGOT TO BREATHE, once I heard it ten times. How original is it to have the cheerleaders and football players be mean and evil? The theme of the book has been done so many times it worn out. The book is not terrible, it is just very common and over done.

The narrator is so bad at voices, that at times I not only could not tell which character was speaking, but I could not tell what gender they were.

17 of 18 people found this review helpful

Brian

Lansing, MI, United States

20/06/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Light fare sci-fi - But I liked it!"

What made the experience of listening to The Second Ship the most enjoyable?

It is a good premise and there is a lot going on to keep you interested. There was always the sense of wanting to know what was going to happen next making this a fast read/listen.

What does MacLeod Andrews bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He's not the best narrator I've listened to but he did a very good job. Character voices were okay.

Any additional comments?

I've seen a lot of reviews that say it's geared for Teen or YA, but being in my mid forties I enjoyed it. It seems that if a story isn't "Gritty" or "Dark" then some people think it must be for teenagers. I don't agree. I guess I'm more of the Star Trek mindset where a Sci-Fi story can have fun and include happy people. While at times the story is a bit Juvenal (it does center around teenagers,) there are other times where the story involves killing with some blood and gore described. There's talk of kidnapping, rape, and torture but without details - which was fine with me.

There was a lot of stuff going on that I think the author wove together pretty well and the action / fighting scenes were well done I thought. It was a little hard to keep track of all of the characters and I found myself reviewing some chapters to make sure I knew who-was-who.

If you want a light fare sci-fi read where you don't have to think too hard, with a clever story that has a lot of suspense, mystery, and action, then is may be a good story for you. If you're looking for a dark and gritty story then you should probably pass. But you may be missing a good thing...

51 of 57 people found this review helpful

Michael G Kurilla

ROCKVILLE, MD, United States

14/12/12

Overall

Performance

Story

"Power Rangers meets Scooby Doo"

The Second Ship is a childish, sci-fi romp. The basic premise is that the government has been studying an alien vessel for decades. Coincidentally, just as its presence (and wonderful technology) is revealed to the public, three teenagers discover a 2nd alien ship and become endowed with various superpowers, both mental and physical. As the story progresses, sinister activities are taking place with the cabal studying the 1st vessel which the kids stumble into and begin to investigate. This is the initial installment in a longer story arc that ends rather suddenly with little closure or resolution and some minor set-ups for the next.

The major knock to the story is the pre-teen orientation in terms of style. All the adults are one dimensional with parents being largely clueless, teachers are overbearing, the good guys are squeaky clean, and the bad guys are diabolically evil (and multiple creepy peccadillos) with the ringleader being a caricature of a megalomaniac (one can anticipate the final denouement, "and I would have gotten away with it if it hadn't been for you kids"). The ending sets up for the next, but resolves almost nothing with lots of unanswered questions left hanging.

The narration is well done with a great range of voices and an enjoyable pace. This is very light, mindless listening with juvenile sci-fi elements.

64 of 77 people found this review helpful

Russell

Keswick, ON, Canada

21/06/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Uninspired Title and Theme Delivers Inspired Book"

There are so many audiobooks out there to choose from and a lot of series to possibly buy into. I recently read Stealheart and it was a good book but there was an unexplained fantasy element and a few other things that kept me from emotionally committing to the story and series.

I would never have guessed that another "Roswell" type story could hook me so thoroughly. My first reaction to the provocative ominous ending was to immediately decide on reading the second book in this series.

The science feels legitimate in this captivating story and our young high school heroes are immersed into a very dangerous world made even worse by some despicable characters who have gained advantages from alien technology taken from a spaceship that had crashed in the U.S. Although the government is controlling the access to the ship, that control is not airtight and some of the people working on discovering the ship's secrets are up to a different agenda.

Fortunately the teens have harnessed some advantages from the alien technology from a second ship they accidentally discovered. There was a battle between both ships that destroyed all the occupants and now it seems the battle is being continued largely in secret between the people who have access to the ships. Meanwhile the young protagonists are trying to alert the NSA to the danger without giving away their identities. This brings in some ruthless heroes who move into the area with harmless cover stories. These agents want to find out if the teens warnings are legitimate and who the leak is for the information coming their way.

This series is not only for young adults - us old jaded folks will have a grand old time with these books. There are some stomach turning characters you don't normally associate with a YA book. You will not like the man who likes to call himself "The Priest".

If you choose to start this series, you will have a hard time stopping. Like I said at the beginning - so many audiobooks to choose from and now this set will be demanding your attention. I'm sure most of you will be happy to take on the commitment.

31 of 37 people found this review helpful

Kenton

Highland Park, IL, United States

22/11/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Y A much?"

When your heroes are all teenagers, it's pretty hard to tell a grown up story. Honestly, I'm seeing a blatant example of publishers reaching for increased revenue on a Young Adult novel by not marketing it as a Young Adult novel.

Fun(ish), but not much in the way of new ideas or story devices, and character development of such solid oaken construction, it would be right at home on an Amish-built show floor.

• Kids smarter than their folks? CHECK. • Parents in perfect Mayberry marriages? CHECK. • Bosses all A Holes? CHECK. • Teachers all bigger A Holes? CHECK. • School bullies get meaner and meaner till shown what 'fer by the hero? CHECK.• Government officials all idiots not to be trusted? CHECK. • Bad guys all self-healing alien zombies who look just like the rest of us? CHECK.

C'mon guys. Really? I'm sure teens can dig it, but the storyline is so clearly marked, all you have to do in the event of reduced visibility is follow white lights which lead to red lights which lead to the exits.

Ughhh.

I quit at 5 hours in.

96 of 116 people found this review helpful

Ron

Basehor, KS, United States

13/08/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"A little Sci Fi fun."

The Second Ship is the first book in The Rho Agenda trilogy with the second being Immune and the third Wormhole. The book starts out in the past in 1948 with alien ships crash landing on our planet and quickly works it's way in to the present day. One of the ships is held by the government in a secret facility and the second ship is found by 3 high school kids. The three high schoolers quickly find that their life's are about to change when they discover they are capable of more, a lot more.

This series was a fun light read that was fun to seat back and see where things lead. I never tried to over analysis things and just let the writer take liberty's for the sake of convenience sometimes. That being said I was always entertained and looked forward to seeing what would happen next. One of the nice things about this series is it has the same narrator MacLeod Andrews throughout.

18 of 22 people found this review helpful

Tango

Texas

20/01/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"YA writing that no kid should read"

Well, I fell into an Audible trap - bought books 2 and 3 on sale but I hadn't read book 1. I won't do that again. It's not that I hated these books, but had I listened to The Second Ship before I bought the next two, I wouldn't have bought the next two. Live and Learn.

Since I had all 3, I listened to the whole trilogy and it's not the worst I've ever heard but I did have some problems with it. Much of the writing and definitely all of the characterizations are standard YA. You have 3 SUPER SMART teens, 1 rogue Black Ops agent who might as well be Super Man (seriously - chiseled features, body like a brick house, flashing eyes - somehow with these stellar good looks, the guy is never recognized???), well-intentioned but completely oblivious parents, and a slew of evil scientists and government baddies. Oh yeah, also one intrepid reporter who goes so far beyond the call of duty that it isn't funny. The plot is a step above that with a lot of action, some pretty interesting and decent science, and quite a lot of suspense. However, the entire series is chalk full of sadists, psychopaths, rapists, and murderers and there are several scenes in each book of torture, kidnapping, rape, gang rape, and gruesome murders. Each of the books in this series made me feel like taking a shower when I finished because they pushed me past my disgust limit. Kind of a shame because I don't think that added anything to the story.

I've heard MacLeod Andrews perform better - I didn't think he added much or took much away from this book.

Most adults can probably handle the seamier parts of these books, but I would not recommend these for teens.

30 of 37 people found this review helpful

AudioAddict

Austin, Texas, USA

13/03/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"The story doesn't end with just one book..."

STORY (sci-fi) - The story takes place in New Mexico. Years ago, two alien ships battled and fell to earth. The first, called the Rho ship, is being studied in a secure scientific facility. Three students accidentally discover the second ship, and they decide to keep their discovery secret until they can notify someone they trust. Strange things start happening to the students' minds and bodies, and they find themselves dealing with secret government officials and others who are battling for control of the Rho ship's technologies. And by the way, everything takes place in New Mexico, nothing in actual outer space. And you don't meet the aliens in this book, just their technology that survived the crashes.

Audible classifies this as sci-fi, which is true, but I'd add the YA classification to it as well. When I read "students" in the summary, I was expecting grad students instead of high school. Anyway, the sci-fi part is well done and entertaining, but the back story is full of family barbeques and high school stuff. Just not my particular cup of tea.

PERFORMANCE - Good job but nothing special.

OVERALL - No sex or cursing. There is action, killing and a few gnarly descriptions of dead bodies, but they are dealt with swiftly. The story does not stand alone, so you must hear all three books to reach the conclusion. I already own Book 3 and will listen to see how everything wraps up, but I don't care enough about this story to invest time/money on Book 2. I'd recommend this for high school and college students, but it could still be enjoyed by older adults who are fine with the younger characters.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

W. Browning

Texas, USA

12/10/12

Overall

Performance

Story

"Outstanding story I could not put down"

Would you listen to The Second Ship again? Why?

Yes, in fact I have already started. The story has some great science and theoretical sciences, so in re-listening to the book I look forward to getting more details than on the first pass. This book is like movies that keep you glued to the screen. The second time you watch, you learn new info making the story even better.

Which character – as performed by MacLeod Andrews – was your favorite?

It wasn't just one, but the three high school students. They are the main characters and I found myself eager for the story to return to them.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This is the first of three books so I had no previous knowledge to base such a sitting on. However, now that I've completed the book, I would love to re-listen to it in a single sitting. Furthermore, when book two and three are released in the coming weeks, I will definitely plan my time to allow as much uninterrupted listening as possible. This is such a great story and I can't wait to hear more.

Any additional comments?

If the next two books maintain the same level of intensity and quality of their science I believe this book trilogy will land itself in my top 5 - maybe even top 3. It's that good! Cannot wait to get the next books!

20 of 25 people found this review helpful

Report Inappropriate Content

If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.